ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Culture
Two-day Conference and Exhibition on the Indian National Calendar as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav inaugurated today in Ujjain
The first day of the Two-day Conference and Exhibition on the Indian National Calendar as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav concluded in Ujjain today.
On the first day, the inauguration of the exhibition was attended by representatives from the calendrical system of Tamil Panchangam, Gujarati Calendar, Nepali Panchangam, Vikram Samvatsar, Shalivahana Saka Samvatsar, and Bangabda and Tripuravada etc
Vijnana Bharati, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture; Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences; Council of Scientific and Industrial Research ; Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technologyand other scientific and social scientific organizations such as IUCAA, IIA, Vikram University Ujjain, IIT Indore have come together to celebrate the Indian National Calendar.
In this regard, a two-day conference and exhibition on India's National Calendar has been arranged on Vaisakh 2 and 3, 1944  at Ujjain and Dongla.
A keynote address was delivered by Shri Jayant Sahasrabudhe, National Organizing Secretary, Vijnana Bharati at Vikram University in Ujjain. These proceedings included three sessions: first on ‘Time and its Measurement – An Indian Perspective’ by Prof. SomakRaychaudhary, Director, IUCAA, Pune; second a virtual one on the topic ‘Techniques of Time measurement for Astronomical Observations in the Medieval Period’ led by Dr. B.S. Shylaja, Former Director, Jawahar Nehru Planetarium, Bengaluru and third on ‘Evolution of India National Calendar’ led by Dr. Arvind C. Ranade, Scientist ‘F’, DST, Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi. Post these sessions, a NukkadNatak was organized by the students of Vikram University, Ujjain.
The second day of the conference will start with a session on the topic ‘Existing Calendar/Panchanga in India’ by Prof. Ranjana Agarwal, Director, NIScPR, New Delhi. Post this; a panel discussion has been organized on the ‘Challenges and Opportunities for the National Calendar’. This discussion shall include the following esteemed panel: Prof. SomakRay Chaudhary, Director, IUCAA, Pune; Dr. Y. Ravi Kiron, Head, Anand Bhawan &Director, Jawahar Planetarium, Prayagraj; Dr. Bharat Adur, Director, AGCA, Mumbai; Shri Abhay Marathe, Founder, RDPM, Aurangabad; Ms. Leena Mehandale, RDPM, Aurangabad. It will be moderated by Dr. Arvind C. Ranade, DST,Vigyan Prasar.
The conference will conclude with a session on feedback and a future roadmap, led by Shri Jayant Sahasrabudhe, VIBHA and Akhilesh Kumar Pande, Vice-Chancellor, Vikram University.
The 'Indian National Calendar,' which was officially established by India’sParliament in 1957, is a scientific statement of India's identity. This was an act of reclaiming our identity after independence. In the recent past, there has been a renewed emphasis on propagating and increasing awareness about the Indian National Calendar.
National Security Council Secretariat
Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Investigation of Terrorism Cases
The Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Conference on Sharing of experiences in investigation of terrorism cases was organised by the National Investigation Agency of India on 19 April 2022. Panellists and participants from India, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh participated in the virtual conference.
The conference was one of the engagement activities identified in the Colombo Security Conclave’s Roadmap for Cooperation and Activities for 2022-23 agreed by member countries at the 5th NSA level Meeting held in Maldives on 9-10 March 2022.
Participants discussed the various challenges related to terrorism in their respective countries and shared experiences on prosecution of terrorism cases, strategies to deal with foreign fighters and countering the misuse of internet and social media. Panellists emphasised on the need for closer cooperation and coordination among member and observer countries of the Colombo Security Conclave for effective investigation and prosecution of terrorism and radicalisation related cases.
Participants agreed to identify specific areas to take forward the cooperation on countering terrorism and radicalisation under the Colombo Security Conclave.
PIB Headquarters
RBI steps in to ease liquidity pressure on Mutual Funds
Announces Rs 50,000 crore Special Liquidity Facility
Mumbai, April 27, 2020
To ease liquidity pressures on mutual funds, the Reserve Bank of India has announced a Special Liquidity Facility of ₹50,000 crore for Mutual Funds. Under this facility, the RBI will provide funds to banks at lower rates and banks can avail of funds for exclusively meeting the liquidity requirements of mutual funds.
Under the special liquidity facility scheme effective today, the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. The facility will be on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday. The Scheme will be in operation till 11th of May or up to utilization of allocated amount whichever is earlier.
"Heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds , which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects there from," the RBI said in a press statement today.
The Apex Bank further added that it remains vigilant and will take whatever steps necessary to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 and preserve financial stability.
The funds availed under the SLF-MF shall be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs by extending loans, and by undertaking outright purchase of and or repos against the collateral of investment grade corporate bonds, Commercial Papers , debentures and Certificates of Deposit  held by MFs.
RBI Press Release
Ministry of Steel
Steel Minister urges tech giants to invest in minerals and metals sector in India
Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, has urged international investors and technology giants to invest in the minerals and metals sector in India. Speaking at the International Conference, on Minerals and Metals – Outlook 2030, being held in New Delhi, he saidIndia’s mining sector offers tremendous potential and presents a vast opportunity for investors to mine unexplored regions. India is well endowed with minerals and produces 95 minerals, including fuel, atomic, metallic & non-metallic and minor minerals.
Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, Binoy Kumar, who presided over the inaugural function, said that India is the second largest producer of iron ore andNational Mineral Development Corporation is the largestiron ore producer in the country. He further said India is the third largest steel producing country and will soon be in the second position. He said the per capita consumption of steel has risen to 69 kgs in the current year but it is still far behind the international consumption standard. Hence the steel industry has huge potential in the future. He said the National Steel Policy 2017 has set a target of producing 300 Million Tonnes of Steel by 2030 therefore the mining sector has to actively take steps to reach its target before 2030.
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, NMDC, N Baijendra Kumar,said that the conference will focus on different aspects of mineral and metal sector and will help stakeholders in achieving the target set by India’s National Steel Policy.
Top CEOs and country heads of national and international organizations are deliberating on the future of minerals and metals worldwide in the two dayprogramme. The event aims to achieve anunderstanding of the global commodities market for minerals and metals,highlighting the inter- linkage between mineral development and economic growth, the developments in the international metals market that can impact the Indian metals industry and identifying opportunities in Indian mining and metals.
Over 500 delegates from 16 countries are participating in the Conference which plans to offer an effective platform to existing and potential metal producers and miners, both domestic and international, for discussing, planning, and establishing mutually beneficial relationships.
The conference is being organized by NMDC and supported by Ministries of Steel, Mines and External Affairs.
Ministry of Finance
Tariif Notification No.23/2020 - Customs 
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 , the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs hereby makes the following amendment in the Notification of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs No.20/2020-CUSTOMS , dated 5th March, 2020 with effect from 14th March, 2020, namely: -
In the SCHEDULE-I of the said Notification, for serial No. 10 and the entries relating thereto, the following shall be substituted, namely: -
SCHEDULE-I
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Sl.No.
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Foreign Currency
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Rate of exchange of one unit of foreign currency equivalent to Indian rupees
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10.
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Norwegian Kroner
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7.45
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7.20
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Prime Minister's Office
PM condoles passing away of Shri Girish Bapat, Member of Parliament from Pune
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the passing away of Shri Girish Bapat, Member of Parliament from Pune.
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said;
“Shri Girish Bapat Ji was a humble and hardworking leader who served society diligently. He worked extensively for the development of Maharashtra and was particularly passionate about Pune's growth. His passing away is saddening. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti”
“Shri Girish Bapat Ji played a key role in building and strengthening the BJP in Maharashtra. He was an approachable MLA who raised issues of public welfare. He also made a mark as an effective Minister and later as Pune's MP. His good work will keep motivating several people.”
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has released ₹ 6,801.30 crore under various sports development schemes in the last five years: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur
‘Sports’ being a State subject, the responsibility to make sports accessible to the masses at the village level rests primarily with the State/Union Territory Governments. The Central Government supplements their efforts. However, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports runs the following schemes for the development of sports in the country, including at the village level:  Khelo India Scheme;  Assistance to National Sports Federations;  Special Awards to Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches;  National Sports Awards;  Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons;  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Fund;  National Sports Development Fund; and  Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India. Details of the above schemes are available in the public domain on the websites of this Ministry and the Sports Authority of India. Funds are allocated Scheme-wise, not State/UT-wise. During the last five years, a sum of ₹ 7,072.28 crore was allocated and a sum of ₹ 6,801.30 crore was released under the various sports development schemes of this Ministry.
This information was given by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Tourism organises 20th webinar titled ‘Uttarakhand Simply Heaven’ under "Dekho Apna Desh" webinar series
The 20th session of the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series on 16th May 2020 titled “Uttarakhand Simply Heaven” highlighted the potential of tourism in Uttarakhand’s two regions namely Kedar Khand  and Manu Khand  and touched upon .the popular destination like Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Hemkhund Sahib and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valley of Flowers.
This webinar session was presented by Dr. PushpeshPant, an eminent scholar, Food Historian and an expert in International Relations, Ex-Professor of JNU, Mr. Ganesh Saili a renowned author, notable photographer and an authority on the history of Uttarakhand and Mr. Shashank Pandey, a certified outbound trainer, MD of Aspen Adventures, Rishikesh. The session was moderated by Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism and
Uttarakhand’s Adventure Tourism Potential such as river rafting at Rishikesh and Pittoragarh, winter sports and skiing in Auli, Paragliding at Tehri Dam and Kaushani, innumerable options for trekking available such as Chopta and Pindari Glacier and India’s highest bungee jumping facility in Rishikesh were highlighted by the presenters.
Besdies adventure activities, the session also presented options for experiencing the best of nature by paying a visit to the oldest national park of the country- Jim Corbett National Park, Rajaji Tiger Reserve and UNESCO site of Nanda Devi National Park-exploring the rich diversity of floral and fauna of Himalayan Region.
Uttarakhand’s immense opportunities for developing and exploring rural tourism offerings, the best options for homestays wherein one can experience and feel the real hospitality of the people serving the best of local cuisine also was highlighted by the presenters.
Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General concluded the session stating Uttarakhand ‘Dev Bhoomi’ ,the Land of Gods is a mesmerizing destination for tourists of all tastes. It is a multi-faceted destination, i.e. from being a sacred and religious site to be an adventure land with rich biodiversity in its purest form.
The Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series sessions are conducted with active support of National e-Governance Division  of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology 
For those who had missed these webinars, the sessions are now available on the https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzIbBmMvtvH7d6Zo_ZEHDA/featured and also on all social media handles of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The next episode of the webinar scheduled Tuesday 19th May 2020 at 11.00 am , is titled ‘Photowalking Bhopal’ and participants can join the webinar be registering at https://digitalindia-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wLHXyRTGTrK3Vb-ljK8sxQ
Ministry of Science & Technology
CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur dedicated Tractor Mounted Spading Machine to the Nation
Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, briefed about the Tractor operated spading machine and its application in seed bed preparation. First activity in any crop cultivation practice is the tilling of soil to make a desirable seed bed for germination of seeds or seedlings. Prof.Hirani, explained that a major part of tractor energy is utilized in seed bed operation leading to high operating cost for farmers. The Spading Machine developed at CMERI reduces the cost of tillage operation and improves its effectiveness. The design of CSIR-CMERI spading mechanism is advantageous in reducing vibration and enhancing the comfort of tractor operator.
Mr. JagdishManikrao, Senior Scientist, who worked on the development of this technology, under the guidance of Prof. Harish Hirani, explained the working and other technicalities of the machine. He stated that as compared to other tillage implements, the machine forms no compaction of subsurface soil and improves the aerobic quality and drainage of soil. The machine can also incorporate large organic material due to its homogeneous working and uniform turning of soil. The spading machine is powered by tractor PTO which rotates at standard speed of 540 rpm, power is transmitted to the crank through the speed reduction gear. This machine has a working width of 1800 mm and it can be operated with any tractor having power greater than 45 HP.
Dr. Pradeep Rajan, Sr. Principal Scientist, Head, Farm Machinery and Precision Agriculture further elaborated that the main advantage is less compaction in subsurface soil layers thereby eliminating the need for sub-soiling. This is due to the fact that soil breakup during spading is similar to manual hoeing as it imitates the manual soil cutting action.
Prof.Hirani dedicated the newly developed agricultural technology to the nation and encouraged the MSME’s, who were having manufacturing facilities for tillage equipment like MB Plough, Rotavator etc., and Start-ups to take the technology to the Indian small and marginal farmers for maximum utilization.
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Ministry of Defence
EXERCISE ZAPAD-2021 CULMINATES AT NOVGOROD, RUSSIA
Exercise ZAPAD-2021, a seven day long Multilateral 'Joint Strategic Exercise' which saw participation from seven countries culminated today at Mulino in the Novgorod Region of Russia.
As part of the Exercise, strategic planning, tactical actions and manoeuvres were rehearsed and executed jointly in conventional operational scenarios. The Joint Strategic Exercise included defensive & offensive manoeuvres by the Coalition Forces to restore territorial integrity under simulated combat conditions. New generation weapon systems and equipment were also demonstrated by Russian Armed Forces during the exercise .
The closing ceremony conducted on 15 September 2021 highlighted the importance of joint military training and close defence cooperation amongst the Contingents. The magnificent ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant General Yunus-Bek Evkurov, Deputy Defence Minister of the Russian Federation, who expressed his gratitude to the members of all participating contingents and observers.
Besides military training and exercise, the participating contingents showcased their skills in a number of extra-curricular & sports activities including Football, Volleyball, Kettle Bell lifting, Arm Wrestling, Tug of War and the cultural program. The exercise has promoted synergy and inter-operability amongst the Armed Forces, and will help in forging closer military ties between the nations. All contingent commanders expressed immense satisfaction in the conduct of the joint exercise in terms of standards achieved and lessons learnt.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Centrally Sponsored Schemes
The details of the number of centrally sponsored schemes being run by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment are enclosed at Annexure.
Starting from 2021-22, it is programmed to conduct social audit with the stakeholders about the outcomes of all the schemes, and to bring out ways to improve the implementation.
Annexure
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S. No.
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Programme/Schemes
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1
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Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Students studying in class IX and X
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2
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Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students
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3
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Pre-matric Scholarships for the children of those engaged in unclean occupation involving cleaning and prone to health hazards
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4
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Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana for Boys
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5
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Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana
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6
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Central Assistance to States/UTs for effective implementation of the Protection of Civil Right Act 1955 and Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989
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7
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Assistance to Scheduled Castes Development Corporations 
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8
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Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBCs students
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9
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Post-Matric Scholarship for OBCs students
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10
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Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls
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11
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Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Pre-Metric Scholarship for students belonging to Economically Backward Classes 
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12
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Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Pre-Metric Scholarship and Post Matric Scholarship for students belonging to Denotified and Nomadic Tribes 
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13
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Nanaji Deshmukh Scheme of Construction of Hostels for DNT Boys and Girls
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14
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National Action Plan for Senior Citizens
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15
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National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction
This information was given by Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar in the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Urea sales is witnessing surge this Kharif season almost everywhere in the country: Shri Gowda
Karnataka Agriculture Minister meets Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Shri Sadananda Gowda
Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda has said that urea sales is witnessing surge this Kharif season almost everywhere in the country.
He said Government of India is taking every effort to strengthen supply from domestic units as well as from imports, when required. The cycle of import has been shortened to augment the supply in line with the peak in demand this season.
Shri Gowda was speaking to Agriculture Minister of Karnataka Shri B .C Patil who met Shri Gowda in New Delhi today regarding availability of urea in Karnataka.
Shri Gowda said Due to persistent efforts of Union Government and continued support from respective State Governments, urea stock is comfortable across the country.
As far as State of Karnataka is concerned, the requirement projected for the entire Kharif 2020 season is 8.50 Lakh MT. Correspondingly, the requirement from 1st April to 26th August was 6.46 Lakh MT against which Department of Fertilisers has ensured an availability of 10.24 Lakh MT, including the opening stock of 3.16 Lakh MT. During this period, the sales of Urea have been 8.26 LMT as compared with the Sales of Urea of 5.20 Lakh MT during the corresponding period last year.
Despite this unprecedented high demand for Urea this season, the Urea availability has remained comfortable in the State.
Shri Gowda appreciated steps taken by the Government of Karnataka against hoarders and black marketeers.
He assured that supply of urea will be augmented in coming days, as per requirement. Department of Fertilisers is closely monitoring the availability situation, and steps have been taken by Department of Fertilisers to ensure that urea will be made available in time to farmers in Karnataka.
Shri Patil thanked Shri Gowda and officers of Department of Fertilisers for timely supply of fertilisers to the State. He however said that the supply of urea needs to be scaled up in the State. The State is seeing a significant increase in net sown area by nearly 11.17 lakh hectares which is 20 % more than previous five-year average. This has resulted in surge in urea demand and sales in the State.
He requested for Central Government’s support in augmenting availability of urea in Karnataka.
Special Service and Features
System Outage of LPG booking system of Indane
Mumbai; 06-09-2022: LPG booking and delivery system of Indian Oil Corporation managed by IBM India has experienced an outage for last two days and currently the system is under recovery. Indian Oil along with IBM and Oracle are working to restore the system at the earliest.
Customers can continue to make booking through:
• SMS or IVRS number 77189 55555
• Missed call 84549 55555 or through
• WhatsApp 75888 88824
• Through their distributors directly or reach out to the showroom phone lines displayed on cash memo as well.
Your bookings will be registered and we shall continue to deliver cylinders to you as soon as we can. We are hopeful to resolve the issue by today evening so that we can service your calls as usual from tomorrow.
We regret for the inconvenience caused to our customers due to sudden system outage. Issued by /- Sandeep Sharma CGM  Marketing Head Office Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Mumbai